Elsewhere in Balmorra, things were being set in motion.

  In a dirty cramped apartment in a bad part of town, a six and a half foot tall warrior named Rithleen shook her head as she re-read the letter. She snorted. It was a sound half way between amusement and disbelief, and then folded it again to look carefully at the seal. She muttered something inaudible. He raven colored dreadlocks shifted at the movement.

  Caius Cosades waited, arms crossed, saying nothing. He slender, dirty and scrawny, if one didn't look too closely.

  She down at him, dark eyes wary. "Nyx hound eggs or instars, one or more still live to be delivered to an operative just outside of Vivec. These orders make no sense." Her voice was a growl of frustration. She shrugged then, carefully rolled up the letter, and held one end of it to the flame of the small lamp on Caius' table. Once it had caught fully, she deposited it in the redware bowl that sat conveniently nearby.

  "Will you need help?" He asked in a neutral tone.

  She took a deep breath, and started pacing. "Nyx hound eggs or instars. It's not the eggs that are the difficulty, but dealing with the lair to get them. Add to that the challenge of finding it." She glanced to the bowl as the last of the parchment crumbled to black char and the flame flickered out. "And apparently I'm on a timetable."

  Caius handed her a second parchment.

  She scanned it. It was a request for assistance from the Abaesen-Pulu Egg Mine, describing depredations done by a nearby Nyx Pack believed to have a lair in the hills north of the mine. She looked up, frowning. "That is a familiar name. I've heard they are having a run of terrible luck lately."

  "Terribly unfortunate." Caius commented. "I recommend you don't get too close to any of the miners." He handed her two small bottles. "In fact it's probably best if you just track the Nyx scouts back to their lair."

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  She folded the letter, and shoved it into her bodice. "But if anyone happens to ask, I'm on a mission of mercy." The faintest smile touched her lips as she stowed the bottles in loops at her belt.

  "Do you want any assistance?" He inquired again.

  "You know I travel fastest alone." Giving him a final nod, she left.

  Caius nodded thoughtfully to himself after the door closed. Then he made a mental note to get his hands on another set of bone mold armor. Closing his eyes for a long moment he visualized the dark warriors sizes and preferences. This was doable.

  It was ten days later when a knock on Caius' door announced the return of his scout. He opened it to reveal the muscular R'gatta. She was moving well, and didn't appear injured but her armor was so badly chewed and damaged as to make it highly unlikely that it could be repaired.

  He nodded, and took a few weaving steps back as he waved her in. "Come in. Come in and share a pipe, my friend."

  She kicked the dirt of her boots on the way in, and as she did so, a large section of bone mold lacquer came lose and literally fell onto the floor. "Who knew gathering eggs would be such a chore." She mused.

  He gestured to a corner of the room, where a pile of sections of yellow-gold lacquered armor waited. "I wasn't entirely sure which style you preferred. See what fits." He took a long drag on his scooma pipe.

  She made a face and waved at the smoke. "It's a wonder you can speak coherently."

  Going to the corner, she knelt down to sort through the sections of armor. After going through the first few pieces, she let out a low appreciative whistle. "Very nice."

  Caius took another long drag on his pipe. "I wasn't sure if you preferred Gah-Julan or Armun-An." He said. "Thought it might do to have them both."

  Rithleen sat back against the wall, and started peeling off the remains of her armour. "I will say, Master Cosades, you certainly pay well."

  Caius blew a careful smoke ring. "I try." The swirling cloud traveled slowly toward the roof of his room. After a moment he added. "And how was Rollie?"

  In the midst of tugging on a left book, Rithleen muttered. "The trader's name was Teris Raledran."

  Caius watched silently as the smoke ring slowly dissipated. "True."

  She pulled a boot onto her right foot with a pleased expression. Taking a few steps across the room, she said. "So you are asking me about the guar?" Her tone was one of wary disbelief, as if wondering if he was making some sort of a joke at her expense. She considered him for a long moment and then added. "The guar had nothing to say."

  "Good."

  "And if he had something to say?"

  "That would probably not be good."

  "You are kidding, right?"

  His only answer was another smoke ring.